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| The entire cast are absolutely brilliant and are perfectly suited for the material, although the parts played by Redgrave and Dennison call for actors 10 years younger. | The entire cast are absolutely brilliant and are perfectly suited for the material, although the parts played by Redgrave and Dennison call for actors 10 years younger. | ||
| To this day, this film stands as the best adaptation of an Oscar Wilde play. | |||
| ==Awards and nominations== | ==Awards and nominations== | ||
Revision as of 00:18, 9 September 2007
1952 film| The Importance of Being Earnest | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Directed by | Anthony Asquith |
| Written by | Oscar Wilde Anthony Asquith |
| Produced by | Teddy Baird Earl St. John |
| Starring | Michael Redgrave Michael Denison Edith Evans Joan Greenwood Dorothy Tutin Margaret Rutherford Miles Malleson |
| Music by | Benjamin Frankel |
| Release dates |  2 June, 1952 22 December, 1952 (NYC) |
| Running time | 95 min. |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Language | English |
The Importance of Being Earnest is a 1952 British film adaptation of the play by Oscar Wilde. It was directed by Anthony Asquith, who also adapted the screenplay, and was produced by Teddy Baird.
Adaptation
The film is largely faithful to Wilde's text, although it divides some of the acts into shorter scenes in different locations.
Edith Evans's outraged delivery of the line "A handbag?" has become legendary. As actor Ian McKellen has written, it is a performance "so acclaimed and strongly remembered that it inhibits audiences and actors years later" providing a challenge for any actress taking on the role of Lady Bracknell.
The entire cast are absolutely brilliant and are perfectly suited for the material, although the parts played by Redgrave and Dennison call for actors 10 years younger.
To this day, this film stands as the best adaptation of an Oscar Wilde play.
Awards and nominations
The film received a BAFTA nomination for Dorothy Tutin as Most Promising Newcomer and a Golden Lion nomination for Anthony Asquith at the Venice Film Festival.
Cast
- Michael Redgrave as John Worthing
- Michael Denison as Algernon
- Edith Evans as Lady Bracknell
- Joan Greenwood as Gwendolen
- Margaret Rutherford as Miss Prism
- Miles Malleson as Canon Chasuble
- Dorothy Tutin as Cecily
Notes
- Ian McKellen, "Ian McKellen on The Test of Time", The Observer, 13 April 1975.
See also
External links
- The Importance of Being Earnest at IMDb
- Criterion Collection essay by Charles Dennis
- Classic Film Guide review
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